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Common air pollutants found throughout the U.S. that can affect human health and harm the environment:

Carbon monoxide: A colorless odorless gas caused by burning hydrocarbon fuels, such as those used in cars. When it enters the bloodstream it reduces the delivery of oxygen to organs and tissues.

Nitrogen dioxide: Results from most combustion processes. A highly reactive gas that causes respiratory infections such as bronchitis. It is an important ozone precursor.

Ozone: In the upper atmosphere ozone shields the earth from harmful UV rays. It is produced naturally through reactions involving oxygen. Nearer the ground, ozone in smog is a major health and environmental concern; it results from reactions involving nitrogen oxides and volatile carbon-based compounds, which are both products of fuel combustion.

Sulfur dioxide: A product of the combustion of fuels such as coal, oil and diesel fuel. Sulfur dioxide causes respiratory problems and is a primary contributor to acid rain, which causes acidification of lakes and streams and can cause damage to plants and buildings.

Aerosols: A mixture of very fine particulates in the air that can have adverse affects on human health, damage materials, and form atmospheric haze.